New Member & New Ambulance Conversion Project - 2000 E350, 4wd, 7.3L, 18,600 miles

[OurayMark]

Wow! No wonder you two are smiling so big in the first photo! That is one of the best 4x4 vans I have seen at an almost unbelievable price!

[jimtmcdaniels]

From what I’ve seen over the years, it seems people make the mistake of not fully realizing all the work and calculated balancing to give the most that the engineers put into a vehicle set up.

I mean people mess up the balance in this reality to chase after some imagination in our mind machine that isn’t practical or grounded in common sense.
Some go kind of crazy like “oh it has tires and rims, let’s get rid of them and get different ones”, “oh it has valve covers, let’s get rid of them and get the chrome ones”, “oh it has a differential cover, let’s get rid of it and get a chrome one”......
Don’t they say a fool and his money are soon departed and left with none for what is really important!?

So I’d strongly consider keeping exterior mods to a minimum and try to swim down stream instead of up.
I mean work with what you already have, I mean the paint job is still basically new and the ambulance theme is fun and can make your vehicle very memorable for you and your friends.So strongly consider working with that theme.
Tie it into something you like like zombies or ghost busters or sci fi, whatever.
And why mess up the balance with any larger tires and any raising of the vehicle already has a roll over tendency.
You want to be able to drive at highway speeds safely, not enter a monster truck or demolition derby contest!
Add some fender flares off eBay if you don’t like the engineered look of the tires and call it good.
Just google 15 passenger van roll overs will show what a responsible we have in keeping everyone in our big high vehicle safe at highway speed, why make it worse?

Keep it safe for you and your loved ones and don’t mess it up doing any extreme 4 wheeling isn’t very wise to tear up such a nice vehicle you’ll never score again, that could serve you for decades to come if you play it smart.

Take care!

[CriftinsCampers]

I have two of my own Ambulances a Modular and a PVC version.
I am working on a third for a client.
I am in the UK and they may well build them differently over your side of the pond but I strongly suggest before you start building anything that you verify what's underneath the trim.

Every PVC based Ambulance I have worked on to date has had a sorrowful mix between 'sod all' and 'no where near enough' insulation!

Here is one I have just gutted

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...HpqTDzGQe03yCt

However Modular bodied Ambulances are usually better Insulated with a core of PIR sandwiched between aluminium skins.

This one I finished in August

https://youtu.be/2g075RfF95M?list=PL...Ok4H-O0qht8cy5

Have fun doing yours

[jimtmcdaniels]

Great finished work and I like your accent!

I just have a mostly stock van that I’ve changed into more of a lounge C shape stock bench seats arrangement road trip van.

Say here is how I insulated for FREE, my 96 Ford extended Club Wagon for camping and road trips:
I used FREE and mildew resistant Polyfill and polyfill/Dacron batting that our pillows and sofas are made of.
I got the material for FREE from discarded pillow back sofas next to dumpsters at apartment complexes and behind thrift stores after hours.
This stuff is light weight and doesn’t absorb moisture!

2 sofa backs was all it took because they have so much fill but it took a lot a lot of fill for all the pockets and hallow doors of my van and I used the batting for the ceiling above the headliner.
My doors close with a solid meat locker like this now!
The stuff comes out of the sofas as a bit matted big clumps which is good for carrying!
The batting is wrapped or on top of the sofa foam cushions.
Just use a box cutter knife to open the fabric up.
The material is in like new condition, protected behind the fabric.
Someone might want to use the seat foam to make bench seats in their mods as well.

Reuse is the best way to go when we can for ourselves and our environment!

I wonder what the professor on Gilligan’s Island could have also done with this stuff! Lol

Take care!

[CriftinsCampers]

Thanks, for the Peugeot I have just gutted (I think you guys know them as Pro Masters) the client was planning to use Spray foam insulation but in the UK that's close to £1000 so not good value.

We have polyester (recycled bottles) roll type insulation available commercially and Natural Wool they both work very, well sofa cushions aren't that easy to come by and most are made of foam which is typically not very fireproof!

So it generally a mix of man made or natural insulation combine with 25mm or 50mm PIR boards is the norm over here.

Our main enemy is insulating to reduce condensation which is a real problem for about 6 months of the year!

We don't for example need 6" in the ceiling to prevent incoming heat though as hot days in the summer are about as frequent as a moon landing!

[Abitibi]

Originally Posted by Cyrull

Welcome! Good looking ride.

I would recommend reading up on David's build, he also has an ambulance.

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...ance-9789.html

Thanks for the good word Cyrull. I really need to update my thread though!

And what a cool base to start an overland vehicle! Enjoy the project!

Cheers,
David

[jimtmcdaniels]

Yes and the spray foaming the whole vehicle is not only very expensive and very tricky and time consuming and means we have to tear it out whenever we need to get in somewhere it is.
Well the foam has a higher R value but many aren't building for use in extreme climates and if we have windows in our van, higher R value probably won't even be noticeable.

YES well the polyester bottles is what the furniture polyfill and batting is made of!

Sofa's are hard to come by?!
Over here in USA people are Always throwing them away.
They are often a stuffed pillow back design. Also rocking recliner chairs, the same.
There is often at least one by the dumpster at an apartment complex and a group of them at the dumpster behind our donation thrift stores that won't sell them if they are too worn.

I hadn't suggested using the foam from sofa's to insulate although it may have a good R value.
I just used the loose polyfil and batting. But if I was making some flat seats in the back, the used foam covered with new fabric could be nice.
In fact that new seat fabric could be fabric from a used sofa's backside is often like new as it was against a wall it's whole life.

[nyyankees588]

Awesome find, how much did you end up getting it for (if you don't mind sharing)? Look forward to seeing where you guys go with it. What's the interior standing height as well? I'm in a similar boat - have put close to 20k miles on our 2wd e250 conversion van and am looking towards getting something that has full standing height (current one has ~67", I'm 6ft) and possibly 4wd.

[Brenton.Lammers]

I agree. I want something that looks nice and I can be proud of but I don't want to get too crazy with it. I had another friend tell me the same thing about keeping it as original as possible. I still might get it painted at some point but I am going to focus on the interior build for now. The tires do look a little skinny to me at 235/85R16 but they are also virtually new and practical. When they wear out I may go up a size or so but I don't want to do anything too crazy.


I appreciate your advice!

Originally Posted by jimtmcdaniels

From what I’ve seen over the years, it seems people make the mistake of not fully realizing all the work and calculated balancing to give the most that the engineers put into a vehicle set up.

I mean people mess up the balance in this reality to chase after some imagination in our mind machine that isn’t practical or grounded in common sense.
Some go kind of crazy like “oh it has tires and rims, let’s get rid of them and get different ones”, “oh it has valve covers, let’s get rid of them and get the chrome ones”, “oh it has a differential cover, let’s get rid of it and get a chrome one”......
Don’t they say a fool and his money are soon departed and left with none for what is really important!?

So I’d strongly consider keeping exterior mods to a minimum and try to swim down stream instead of up.
I mean work with what you already have, I mean the paint job is still basically new and the ambulance theme is fun and can make your vehicle very memorable for you and your friends.So strongly consider working with that theme.
Tie it into something you like like zombies or ghost busters or sci fi, whatever.
And why mess up the balance with any larger tires and any raising of the vehicle already has a roll over tendency.
You want to be able to drive at highway speeds safely, not enter a monster truck or demolition derby contest!
Add some fender flares off eBay if you don’t like the engineered look of the tires and call it good.
Just google 15 passenger van roll overs will show what a responsible we have in keeping everyone in our big high vehicle safe at highway speed, why make it worse?

Keep it safe for you and your loved ones and don’t mess it up doing any extreme 4 wheeling isn’t very wise to tear up such a nice vehicle you’ll never score again, that could serve you for decades to come if you play it smart.

Take care!

[Brenton.Lammers]

Thanks for the reply. I haven't dug in behind the cabinets but the door panels just had batt insulation in them. The body itself is extremely well built and professionally done. I hate to tear too much of it out to be honest. I will have to do some modifications for sure but plan to keep as much in tact as I can.

Originally Posted by CriftinsCampers

I have two of my own Ambulances a Modular and a PVC version.
I am working on a third for a client.
I am in the UK and they may well build them differently over your side of the pond but I strongly suggest before you start building anything that you verify what's underneath the trim.

Every PVC based Ambulance I have worked on to date has had a sorrowful mix between 'sod all' and 'no where near enough' insulation!

Here is one I have just gutted

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...HpqTDzGQe03yCt

However Modular bodied Ambulances are usually better Insulated with a core of PIR sandwiched between aluminium skins.

This one I finished in August

https://youtu.be/2g075RfF95M?list=PL...Ok4H-O0qht8cy5

Have fun doing yours